Mike Callahan got off to a rough start Wednesday afternoon.

Western Wayne’s starting pitcher surrendered seven runs and didn’t survive the top of the first inning against Lakeland. However, the Wildcat senior was able to put that mini-disaster out of his mind and focus on hitting instead.

Callahan came to the plate with two on and nobody out in the bottom half of the frame and immediately set about evening the score. Literally.

Mike blasted a three-run homer in his first at-bat, then crushed a towering grand slam in his second. Thanks to Callahan's power surge, Western Wayne was back in the game and looking to steal a win.

Sadly for the Varden faithful, it simply wasn’t to be. Lakeland put the proverbial pedal to the metal in the final four frames. The Chiefs piled up 14 more runs en route to an eventual 21-11 victory.

“It’s tough to lose any game by 10 runs, but this one definitely hurt,” Coach Jason Kromko told TWI Sports just moments after the end of this 3-hour marathon. “We’re never happy with a loss, but there were some bright spots. We broke out a little bit offensively and that’s a good sign for the rest of the season.”

Western Wayne has just two dates left on its Lackawanna League slate. The ‘Cats hit the road for an away game at Holy Cross. Coach Kromko’s lads then close out the campaign Monday afternoon at Mid Valley. First pitch for both of these Division Two encounters is set for 4:30 p.m.

Rollercoaster Ride
Lakeland jumped all over Callahan in the top of the first. The Chiefs used five hits, four walks and an error to score seven runs and chase Mike from the mound. He was relieved by Billy Gillette, who fanned Joe Wahy to end the inning.

Wildcat fans seemed a bit stunned as the home team finally came to bat. However, it wasn’t long before they were standing on the bleachers and cheering an amazing comeback.

Mitch Vitovsky got the ball rolling. Western Wayne's senior lead-off man found a 1-2 offering to his liking and ripped it for a double. Dustin Brooks joined him on the bases just three pitches later thanks to a bloop single.

That set the stage for Callahan’s first chance at redemption. A talented batter who’s only recently begun to hit his stride at the plate, Mike needed just one pitch to ignite the offense. Lakeland starter Brandon Shimo hung a curveball high in the strike zone and

Callahan hammered it. The ball sailed high over the fence in left center and disappeared into a stand of fir trees beyond.

“We’ve been waiting for Mike to break out and he finally did,” said Coach Kromko. “He’s a good hitter with a quick bat and alot of power. When he gets hold of one, it gets out in a hurry. Mike’s been hitting the ball hard, but right at people. He was really due for a big day.”

Callahan didn’t just have a big day Wednesday, he had a career day. Mike would add a seventh inning sacrifice fly to his impressive resume. All told, Western Wayne’s three-hole hitter would go 2-for-4 with two homers, two runs scored and eight RBIs.

In his second opportunity, Callahan came up with the bases juiced. Casey Hobbs ignited this rally with a one-out single. Liam Munley followed with a base knock of his own. When Brooks worked a two-out walk, Western Wayne was suddenly one swing of the bat away from a tie ballgame.

Shimo appeared much more cautious with the Wildcat slugger this time around. The Chiefs’ righty nibbled at the corners until the count stood even at 2-2. Then, he made his second big mistake of the day. Shimo cut loose with a knee-high heater right down the middle.

Once again, Callahan’s eyes lit up and he jumped all over it. The ball rocketed off his bat and streaked toward the fence in left. Lakeland outfielder Pete Larioni took a few steps back, then just stopped to watch as it vanished into the treeline.

“There wasn’t any doubt about it,” said Coach Kromko. “I knew it was gone the second it left his bat. Mike really came through for us and gave us a chance to get back in the game.”

Down & Out
Gillette struggled with his control and with the mound all through his three innings of work. The Wildcat sophomore walked nine batters, but didn’t exactly receive stellar support in the field. In fact, of the eight runs charged to Billy, just three were earned.

Lakeland re-captured the lead with two runs in the third, then erupted for six more in the fourth.

The Chiefs were paced offensively by Demming and Sean Pidgeon. Demming enjoyed a 3-for-4 day at the dish. The junior outfielder singled, doubled and homered. He also scored three runs and drove in four. The highlight of Pidgeon’s 3-for-5 outing came in the seventh when he blasted a two-run homer.

Hobbs eventually came on to finish up the game for Western Wayne. Casey worked three innings and surrendered eight earned runs. Lakeland exploded for a five-run seventh during Hobbs’ watch.

“We really didn’t play all that badly,” said Coach Kromko. “And I’m very happy that more than one or two kids hit the ball hard. Hey, if we can score 11 runs every time out, we’re going to win quite a few games.”

Western Wayne’s Cody Moyle suffered a head injury late in the game and had to be  removed from the line-up. The Wildcats’ catcher collided with first baseman Braden Zeiler while both players chased a foul pop near the Lakeland dugout.

Moyle is listed as day-to-day.

Vitovsky complemented Callahan’s heroics with a solid day offensively. Mitch doubled in the first and added another two-bagger in the seventh. His line drive to the gap in right center missed clearing the wall by less than a foot.

Austin Krompasky, Cyle Robbins, Hobbs and Munley each chipped in with two hits.

Score by Innings...
LAK   7  0  2  6  1  0  5 - 21
WW    3  4  1  0  0  1  2 - 11